total BS.....didn't the Hornets just host the all star about 3 years ago?

New Orleans Hornets to get 2014 All-Star Game - ESPN
NEW ORLEANS -- The NBA's All-Stars will be back in the Big Easy two seasons from now.
Whether New Orleans' NBA franchise will still be known as the Hornets by then is another matter.
Three days after Saints owner Tom Benson agreed to buy the Hornets and sign a lease extension at New Orleans Arena, NBA commissioner David Stern came down to the bayou and announced that New Orleans will host the 2014 All-Star Game as "a reward to the good citizens of this city and the sponsors and ticket holders" who helped solidify the team's financial footing before it was sold.
Stern had barely finished making that announcement when Benson asked fans to help him pick out a new name for the team.
"We want to change the name from Hornets to something that means New Orleans and Louisiana," said Benson, who has agreed to pay $338 million for the club. "The Hornets don't mean anything" to the area.
Stern smiled while Benson spoke and noted, "He doesn't own the team yet."
"You've got $25,000 of my dough," Benson responded, referring to his down-payment.
Stern quickly corrected him, saying, "$25 million -- and if you want to get it credited to the purchase price, you better stop talking now."
Laughter erupted, but talk of a name change continued later when Stern was asked about the possibility of New Orleans getting the name of its first NBA franchise -- the Jazz -- back from Utah.
"It's fair to assume going in that each of other 29 teams will maintain ownership of their names," Stern said. "There are ways to look at that, but I'm sure there are also other great names."
Benson, meanwhile, is not stopping at a name change. He said he wants a new practice center for the team as well.
"The first thing we've got do is get a practice facility that's going to be what we ought to have to get this team ready to win a championship," Benson said.
Currently, the Hornets practice in a suburban event center across the Mississippi River from where the Saints are headquartered. The Hornets' lease contains a pledge of $10 million that can be used either toward a new practice center or improvements to the New Orleans Arena, which already is slated for about $50 million in improvements during the next two years.
Doug Thornton, vice president of SMG, the company that manages the state-owned Superdome and New Orleans Arena, has been working on the selection of possible practice facility sites in the metro area. He said it was too early to name sites, and added that Benson likely would have to spend some of his own money on a practice center. Thornton said would be tough to build one comparable to the better ones around the NBA for less than $20 million.
Joining Stern and Benson at the announcement were Gov. Bobby Jindal and mayor Mitch Landrieu.
Landrieu noted that Monday's announcement took place across the street from the Superdome, from where images transmitted worldwide in the late summer of 2005 told the story of the misery caused by Hurricane Katrina.
"Now what you're witnessing in the city of New Orleans is probably one of greatest stories of resurrection and redemption that the people of America have seen," Landrieu said.
Stern had already pledged to Jindal that New Orleans would receive an All-Star Game once a new owner and lease extension were in place. Because of potential conflicts with Mardi Gras in 2015 and 2016, awarding the game in 2014 made the most sense.
The 2013 game will be played in Houston, and Mardi Gras falls on March 4 in 2014, well after the usual mid-February date for NBA All-Star weekend. Mardi Gras falls in mid-February in 2015 and 2016, so if the NBA had given the 2014 event to New York, as some predicted, it would not make sense to hold the game in New Orleans again until 2017. By then, Benson would be 89 years old.
Stern and Benson announced an agreement Friday for the Saints' owner to take over the Hornets, who have often been on shaky ground since arriving in the Big Easy in 2002. Benson agreed to an arena lease running through 2024, and Stern said Monday that he expected Benson's prospective ownership to be approved by the NBA's board of governors within 45 days.
Benson's involvement in pro basketball comes as his football club looks to emerge from a bounty scandal that has resulted in head coach Sean Payton's season-long suspension.
While Benson was appearing with Stern at a court-level restaurant in the New Orleans Arena, the Saints were having their first day of voluntary workouts in nearby Metairie. Absent from the workouts was quarterback Drew Brees, who is seeking a new, long-term contract, and who was in New York to join players union and NFL officials discussing the Saints' bounty system.
When the line of questioning at the New Orleans Arena turned from basketball to football, Stern interrupted.
"I'm not going to allow my putative owner to answer that question," Stern said. "This is an NBA-related press conference."
However, Stern did not discount the value that Benson's ownership of the Saints, who are enormously popular and sell out every game, could bring to the Hornets.
"If you have relationships with (Saints) sponsors, some of whom might have made a mistake and not associated with the Hornets, or maybe even some Hornets sponsors who made a mistake and have not associated with the Saints, there are huge opportunities for both teams," Stern said.
Benson said some of his close advisers, whom he consults on Saints matters, also would be consulted about the Hornets.
There are some aspects of the operations of both clubs that could be more practical to consolidate, such as ticket sales, sponsorships and game-day entertainment.
However, Benson said he had assured Stern that the teams would operate independently of one another.
"They've got to operate separately," Benson said. "They're two different things."

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I think he's going to be a star. And as time goes on, he'll be the face of the Spurs, I think.--- Coach Pop on Leonard

What stern did to Seattle and the Whole State of Washington is more than sinful. He acts like a impish god and kills a team in one city only to selfishly save a team in another. His decisions are arbitrary and rooted in spite.

No. But right is right. What can be done in one town will easily be replicated in another. Not so long ago The Spurs were going to leave San Antonio. Fortunately for us it was a different time and different circumstance. It could be us the the future. If it can Happen in a State as rich s Washington, a City as upwardly Mobil as Seattle, with fan base that was as supportive as what the Sonics it doesn't take a genius to realize that it can happen here. Stern is the worst Commissioner in any major American Sport in the last 100 years.

No. But right is right. What can be done in one town will easily be replicated in another. Not so long ago The Spurs were going to leave San Antonio. Fortunately for us it was a different time and different circumstance. It could be us the the future. If it can Happen in a State as rich s Washington, a City as upwardly Mobil as Seattle, with fan base that was as supportive as what the Sonics it doesn't take a genius to realize that it can happen here. Stern is the worst Commissioner in any major American Sport in the last 100 years.

wasn't part of the dispute the Seattle ownership didn't want to renovate the arena, which was in poor condition?

remembering the year the Sonics did move, the fan because and the league was upset at the Sonics (then) ownership, i don't remember any anger towards Stern.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WILLTHETHRILL

I find it odd that the SBC/AT&T center never got an all star game even when it was brand new.

Spurs don't need the money, although it'd be nice. if it had to do with the selling of the team, there can't be any bad feelings toward it. if they couldn't sell it, they'd probably be contracted which would mean a bunch of people out of jobs (and their players really wouldn't be the top priority of other teams for signings except one or two).

if Stern truly played favorites, we'd be finding excuses to have the Clippers host one in LA, Lakers host another one in LA, Miami and Boston also.

wasn't part of the dispute the Seattle ownership didn't want to renovate the arena, which was in poor condition?

remembering the year the Sonics did move, the fan because and the league was upset at the Sonics (then) ownership, i don't remember any anger towards Stern.

Spurs don't need the money, although it'd be nice. if it had to do with the selling of the team, there can't be any bad feelings toward it. if they couldn't sell it, they'd probably be contracted which would mean a bunch of people out of jobs (and their players really wouldn't be the top priority of other teams for signings except one or two).

if Stern truly played favorites, we'd be finding excuses to have the Clippers host one in LA, Lakers host another one in LA, Miami and Boston also.

My thing is that the Honets have hosted two all star games within a short span in sport years which is a true statement. While the Spurs have hosted only one since 1996. I'm sure it was part of the Hornets deal. Which makes sense. I think if a team has a new arena they should automatically get an all star game. Not saying the Spurs need it but it would be good for the city and the fans here. Look at Orlando first year of the new arena they got an all star game. I have no issue with that but where was the Spurs' host time in the early 2000s? I also like they had it in Vegas a few years ago. Having a neutral site ASG every five years would be super cool. Vegas then five years..maybe Maui, Hawaii.......just an idea. But as far as neutral site games it would make a ton of sense if they would make the majority of the preseason neutral site games league wide. Would add some spice to the boring preseason and be less of a burden on season ticket holders around the league who pay full price to see Tim Duncan in a blazer and $15 blue jeans every year at home at least once in preseason action. It's not fair to them. If not the games should have a slight discount at the very least.